Worship Experiences

Religious services at Etz Chaim are exceptionally warm and welcoming. They reflect and deepen our sense of community. In our sanctuary, the seats are arranged so we can see the front of the sanctuary as well as each other. Ascending to the bimah requires only one step. As we begin the Torah service, we take the Torah from the ark and carry it through the sanctuary. Our choir sits close to the congregation. The melodies they sing invite participation by the entire congregation. We experience our worship services as part of a community.

Community & Connections

Congregation Etz Chaim has a distinctive culture of volunteerism and belongingness that helps to make our community vibrant and relevant. Together with the rabbis, the school principal, and staff, Congregation Etz Chaim members lead, guide, and perform the work of the congregation through various committees and social groups. This thread is woven through not only congregational projects but community ones as well.

Learning at Etz Chaim

Jewish education is the shared responsibility of the family, the school and our congregation. Congregation Etz Chaim offers many ongoing and special programs to help our congregants be knowledgeable, active and competent members of the Jewish community.

Adult education programs are offered for members who wish to expand their knowledge of Hebrew, Judaism, current events, and Torah. Programs may be led by the congregation’s rabbis or members, or by visiting rabbis or other outside experts.

Religious School

We are very proud of our school and its accomplishments. We have a very high percentage of students who continue their Jewish education after they become Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We also put a significant emphasis on family education, encouraging our parents to be a part of their child’s Jewish education.

Inclusion & Diversity

Congregation Etz Chaim is a community, not just a building. We make every possible attempt to make our environment as welcoming as possible. We have greeters in our foyer to welcome people on shabbat and other worship services. Our goal is to create a space where all feel welcomed within our building and all families feel comfortable participating in meaningful ways at all worship services, programs, family events and congregation committees. A variety of accommodations are available.

Inclusion Specialist

Rachel works with students who have learning challenges as our inclusion specialist. She supports teachers and teaching assistants who have children in their classes with diagnosed learning disabilities.

Tikkun Olam

The earliest use of the term tikkun olam comes in the phrase mip’nei tikkun ha-olam, “for the sake of repairing the world”, which appears in the Mishnah with the meaning of amending the law in order to keep society well-functioning. More generally, tikkun can mean improvement, establishment, repair, prepare, and more. In the Mishnaic context it refers to practical legal measures taken in the present to ameliorate social conditions.

Congregation Etz Chaim

Congregation Etz Chaim of DuPage County, a Reform synagogue, is a growing, thriving center of Reform Judaism that serves more than 500 families in the western suburbs of Chicago. The synagogue is conveniently located near I-88 and I-355 between Roosevelt and Butterfield Roads, at 1710 South Highland Avenue in Lombard, Illinois.

Worship Experiences

Religious services at Etz Chaim are exceptionally warm and welcoming. They reflect and deepen our sense of community. In our sanctuary, the seats are arranged so we can see the front of the sanctuary as well as each other. Ascending to the bimah requires only one step. As we begin the Torah service, we take the Torah from the ark and carry it through the sanctuary. Our choir sits close to the congregation. The melodies they sing invite participation by the entire congregation. We experience our worship services as part of a community.

Community & Connections

Congregation Etz Chaim has a distinctive culture of volunteerism and belongingness that helps to make our community vibrant and relevant. Together with the rabbis, the school principal, and staff, Congregation Etz Chaim members lead, guide, and perform the work of the congregation through various committees and social groups. This thread is woven through not only congregational projects but community ones as well.

Learning at Etz Chaim

Jewish education is the shared responsibility of the family, the school and our congregation. Congregation Etz Chaim offers many ongoing and special programs to help our congregants be knowledgeable, active and competent members of the Jewish community.

Adult education programs are offered for members who wish to expand their knowledge of Hebrew, Judaism, current events, and Torah. Programs may be led by the congregation’s rabbis or members, or by visiting rabbis or other outside experts.

Religious School

We are very proud of our school and its accomplishments. We have a very high percentage of students who continue their Jewish education after they become Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We also put a significant emphasis on family education, encouraging our parents to be a part of their child’s Jewish education.

Inclusion & Diversity

Congregation Etz Chaim is a community, not just a building. We make every possible attempt to make our environment as welcoming as possible. We have greeters in our foyer to welcome people on shabbat and other worship services. Our goal is to create a space where all feel welcomed within our building and all families feel comfortable participating in meaningful ways at all worship services, programs, family events and congregation committees. A variety of accommodations are available.

Inclusion Specialist

Rachel works with students who have learning challenges as our inclusion specialist. She supports teachers and teaching assistants who have children in their classes with diagnosed learning disabilities.

Tikkun Olam

The earliest use of the term tikkun olam comes in the phrase mip’nei tikkun ha-olam, “for the sake of repairing the world”, which appears in the Mishnah with the meaning of amending the law in order to keep society well-functioning. More generally, tikkun can mean improvement, establishment, repair, prepare, and more. In the Mishnaic context it refers to practical legal measures taken in the present to ameliorate social conditions.

Congregation Etz Chaim

Congregation Etz Chaim of DuPage County, a Reform synagogue, is a growing, thriving center of Reform Judaism that serves more than 500 families in the western suburbs of Chicago. The synagogue is conveniently located near I-88 and I-355 between Roosevelt and Butterfield Roads, at 1710 South Highland Avenue in Lombard, Illinois.

President’s Pen, March 2020

Purim is almost upon us. On Sunday the 8th our congregation will be the Purim Capital of North America. In addition to the service, there is also a Purim Carnival. And there will be plenty of Hamentaschen for us, since the week before our Sisterhood has a Hamentaschen baking party at the synagogue. This is followed by our Sophie & Jack Edwards Scholar in Residence Program beginning on Friday the 13th; Dr. Barry Wimpfheimer’s topic is: When Jewish Law Gets Too Technical. At the end of the second full week of April, Passover begins. A time when we will gather with friends and family on the first night to celebrate the holiday and everything it means to us. On the second night we will gather together for the Congregational Seder. On April 17th our annual weekend Congregational Retreat begins. And before you sit down to relax, on May 2nd is our 60th Anniversary Celebration Concert titled: A Night of Comedy and Songs, featuring Rabbi Andie and Jane Cosnowsky.

It sounds like a lot is happening in a period of 8-weeks at our synagogue. The fact is that a lot happens at our synagogue. From the opening of school and the Brotherhood’s BBQ picnic and Carnival in the fall to the end of school and the Brotherhood’s ‘end of school’ BBQ, much is going on at Etz Chaim. Our community is very active. We are fortunate to have people volunteering to help make these events possible. And every year additional activities are added by members who have an idea and wish to see who is attracted to it. It keeps us vibrant.

You have probably seen what this is leading up to. I am suggesting that through this year that you stretch yourself and help in making an event come together. Perhaps it is only setting or cleaning up. On the other hand, you may be able to help produce advertising for an event. Or you have some other skill that you can bring to the ‘party.’ There are a number of different committees who are always up to something. The Retreat Committee is busy right now preparing a weekend at OSRUI that should keep both the children and adults busy and entertained; the theme of the retreat is: Celebrating Our Super Heroes. I am NOT directing you to any particular activity. The opportunities are there; if something appeals to you and you have the time, from singing in our choir, working with children, helping with gardening, or adding your expertise and experience to improving our facility, etc. Your choice. Check it out, dip your toes in, and see if there is something that catches your imagination and looks interesting. Where to start? Check our website, www.congetzchaim.org , and get a sense of what is going on and who you can contact. And do not forget to join your fellow congregants at the various events to see friends and make new ones.